This invention relates to a portable device for generating a current in a vessel containing fluid. More specifically, this invention provides an exercise or recreational device for swimming pool use.
Swimming pools installed in or on the grounds of private property owners are generally too small in size for purposes of enabling a user to perform long distance lap swimming. Larger sized pools suitable for long distance lap swimming are expensive to build and maintain. There is a need to convert smaller, inexpensive pools into usage for long distance swimming. Prior devices have been proposed which generate a continuous end-to-end current in a small sized tank against which a swimmer can swim in one relatively stationary place. Such devices are, however, difficult and expensive to manufacture, and comprise a current generating device integral with the swimming pool.
So-called portable current-generating devices typically require support members and mounting hardware. Such a device requires the user to first install it in a pool before it can operate to generate a current. Installation can be cumbersome, and typically requires the use of tools and hardware. Depending upon the size and weight of the unit, installation often requires the efforts of more than one person. Because such an operation takes considerable time and effort, the device is typically left in place in its installed position, in effect becoming a permanent fixture in a swimming pool and detracting from the overall size of the pool.
The present invention provides a portable device for generating a current in a vessel containing a fluid. The device includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet, and a motor attached to the housing. A propeller, driven by the motor, is positioned in the housing. A float is attached to the housing to create a buoyant force sufficient to keep the portable device afloat in the fluid. Fluid is drawn into the housing through the inlet side and forced out of the housing through the outlet side to generate the current in the vessel.
A further embodiment of the present invention provides a portable device for generating a current in a swimming pool containing water. The device includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet. A propeller, driven by a motor, is positioned in the housing. A float is attached to the housing to create a buoyant force sufficient to keep the portable device afloat in the water. Water is drawn into the housing through the inlet side and forced out of the housing through the outlet side to generate the current in the swimming pool. The buoyant force of the float and the rotation of the propeller stabilize the portable device in the water by positioning the portable device adjacent a side-wall of the swimming pool.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a method of swimming in a pool against a current. The method includes placing a floating current-generating device into the pool, allowing the floating device to move in the pool to a stabilized position adjacent a side-wall of the pool, and swimming against the current in front of the device.